Madonna has deleted a bizarre video in which she called COVID-19 “the great equalizer” while sitting in a bathtub.
The post disappeared from her Instagram overnight.
Reaction to the 61-year-old’s video message was mostly negative, with many people describing it as “privileged.” One particularly vitriolic comment referred to Madonna as a “creepy witch.”
Nearly unrecognizable, the pop icon was seen sitting in a tub of milky water with flower petals as ominous music played.
“That’s the thing about COVID-19. It doesn’t care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are. How smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell,” she said.
“It’s the great equalizer and what’s terrible about it is what’s great about it. What’s terrible about it is that it’s made us all equal in many ways, and what’s wonderful about it, is that it’s made us all equal in many ways.”
Madonna finishes with: “Like I used to say at the end of ‘Human Nature’ every night, if the ship goes down, we’re all going down together.”
Despite the criticism, Madonna hasn’t stopped sharing personal messages via video on Instagram. In her latest, she said COVID-19 “will definitely make me a more tolerant person.”
She also lamented being forced into self-isolation. "What I really miss, and this is true, is being able to talk in front of an audience,” said Madonna. “Be funny in front of an audience every night. Making people laugh every night is fun. Another luxury gone… for now.
“The audience in my house is not amused by me, as far as I can tell."